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News about the Irish & Irish American culture, music, news, sports. This is hosted by the Irish Aires radio show on KPFT-FM 90.1 in Houston, Texas (a Pacifica community radio station)
March 25, 2007
Devolution or Dissolution - NI Parties Choice
News about Ireland & the Irish
RT 03/25/07 Devolution Or Dissolution, NI Parties Choice
BB 03/25/07 Premiers Discuss DUP Delay Tactic
BN 03/25/07 DUP: Six-Week Delay Was Pre-Agreed With Downing St
(Poster’s Note: Here is the latest news from three different
sources regarding the March 26th deadline. Jay)
*********************
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0325/northpolitics.html?rss
Devolution Or Dissolution, NI Parties Choice
Sunday, 25 March 2007 20:58
The British and Irish governments are insisting the north's
parties must decide between devolution and dissolution by
midnight tomorrow. But, they also say they will consider any
proposal that the support of all the parties.
The Northern Secretary, Peter Hain, has said he will not bring in
new legislation to change tomorrow's deadline for devolution,
unless the North's parties strike a deal on power-sharing in the
coming hours.
Mr Hain today signed a restoration order to devolve power
tomorrow from Westminister to Stormont, despite a decision by the
DUP not to nominate ministers to a power-sharing executive at
Stormont by the deadline, but to share power in May instead.
Mr Hain said the North's parties will have the choice of
devolution or dissolution, but if they come up with some agreed
proposal among themselves, the two governments will consider it.
Mr Hain has said he will not bring in new legislation to change
tomorrow's deadline for devolution, unless the North's parties
strike a deal on power-sharing during talks tomorrow.
Mr Hain said the Northern's parties will have the choice of
devolution or dissolution when they meet, but if they come up
with some agreed proposal among themselves the two governments
will consider it.
Earlier, The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern has said that yesterday's
decision by the DUP not to nominate Ian Paisley as First Minister
tomorrow, but to share power in May, means the legislative
deadline for power-sharing cannot now be met.
Mr Ahern said the DUP's decision was disappointing and created
difficulties.
Speaking on RTE’s Radio's This Week programme, Mr Ahern said he
will meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Berlin today and
they will both see how they can go forward.
May power-sharing: DUP
Yesterday, to preserve party unity, the DUP said it would share
power with Sinn Féin in May, not from tomorrow.
Now, if Ian Paisley's party wants to be the major party in a
devolved government, it must get agreement on a way forward with
the other parties, including Sinn Féin.
Even though Peter Hain has signed the order to devolve power at
Stormont, it is clear there will be no appointment of an
executive tomorrow.
It there is no deal before midnight devolution will crash, and
after midnight power will be taken back to direct rule ministers
to avoid a responsibility vacuum.
The only way that will change is the parties coming to Mr Hain
and saying we have an agreement on how to move forward.
Face to face talks involving the DUP led by Ian Paisley and Sinn
Féin led by Gerry Adams are on the cards tomorrow.
*********************
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6493423.stm
Premiers Discuss DUP Delay Tactic
Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern
are to discuss the latest developments in the Northern Ireland
political process.
They are attending a European Union conference in Berlin, marking
50 years of European co-operation.
Mr Ahern said the DUP seeking a six week delay to forming a
power-sharing administration was disappointing.
"This is not something we can live with, it is not satisfactory
to us," he said.
"Obviously there's a lot of tic tacking going on, there's a lot
of talks going on, it's not Monday morning yet and we'll have to
see where we are.
"But as of now if we don't get the institutions set up the
institutions collapse - that is the position in the absence of
some other innovative thinking."
The DUP's Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson said that his party
had made an "historic decision".
"The Democratic Unionist Party has made a firm commitment to
participate in a power-sharing government in May," he said.
"That is absolutely clear and unequivocal - we felt there was a
need for more time because there were outstanding issues that
need to be resolved."
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has signed an order
restoring power to the Stormont assembly from midnight, despite
the DUP decision to wait to May before joing a power-sharing
administration.
He insisted Stormont would be dissolved if Monday's deadline was
not met - but said if parties could agree an alternative, he was
open to that.
On Saturday, the DUP's ruling executive overwhelmingly passed a
resolution offering a definite date, in May, for going into
government with Sinn Fein - if the government delays its
devolution deadline by six weeks.
It is believed the DUP feels it reached an understanding with the
government about the delay during talks on Friday.
Success or failure?
However, speaking on Sunday, Mr Hain said: "Success tomorrow
would be devolution, failure would be dissolution. I don't at the
moment see any other way, I only see it our way.
"If there is another way if the parties have got their own way
then they need to jointly agree it and come back to me pretty
quickly, because otherwise the law kicks in and there's nothing I
can do about it."
On Saturday, the DUP said it was willing to bridge the gap
between now and May with preparatory work, "including
departmental pre-briefings and finalising a programme for
government".
It said it wanted the extra time "to raise the level of
confidence in the community and instil a positive attitude
towards devolution and local control".
"The Ulster people will be persuaded, they will not be driven,"
party leader Ian Paisley said.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the DUP was seeking to
"frustrate the will of the electorate".
"If the DUP wants a functioning assembly after 26 March this can
only happen through direct dialogue and agreement with Sinn Fein
and the other parties," he said.
"In the meantime the two governments must now proceed to put in
place their all-Ireland partnership arrangements."
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said if the DUP needed time
it should just nominate ministers then have the assembly go into
easter recess.
"Throughout the election campaign the DUP said its approach to
devolution was condition led not calendar led.
Financial package
"Now, however, the DUP executive says it will share power with
Sinn Fein on a specific date in May," he said.
"This is a further U-turn. What difference does six weeks make?"
The British and Irish governments say they will shut the assembly
and stop the pay of its members if a power-sharing executive is
not agreed on Monday.
If devolution does not return, controversial water bills will
also be posted to homes in Northern Ireland within days.
Chancellor Gordon Brown has promised an extra œ1bn if devolution
is back on Monday on top of œ35bn promised by the government over
four years.
The Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended since October
2002, amid allegations of an IRA spy ring at Stormont.
A subsequent court case collapsed. Direct rule has been in place
since that date.
Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/03/25 14:38:59 GMT
c BBC MMVII
*********************
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=MHAUMHGBCWOJ&rss=rss2
DUP: Six-Week Delay Was Pre-Agreed With Downing St
25/03/2007 - 15:54:53
DUP sources in the North are claiming they had a pre-arranged
deal with Downing Street over their refusal to meet tomorrow's
deadline on devolution.
If true, the claim is politically damaging to the Northern
Secretary, Peter Hain, who insisted right up to the last moment
that the date was written in stone.
Mr Hain has signed the order restoring power to the Stormont
assembly from midnight, but says direct rule will be re-imposed
from midnight on Monday unless the DUP and Sinn Féin can agree by
then on the six-week delay demanded by Ian Paisley's party.
There are differing signals from republicans with the South
Belfast assemblyman Alex Maskey saying any delay is unacceptable
but the party's MP for Newry/Armagh Conor Murphy was not ruling
it out completely.
The DUP now say their proposed six-week delay was agreed in
advance during talks at Downing Street on Friday.
----
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To March Index
To Index of Monthly Archives
To Searches & Sources of Other Irish News
RT 03/25/07 Devolution Or Dissolution, NI Parties Choice
BB 03/25/07 Premiers Discuss DUP Delay Tactic
BN 03/25/07 DUP: Six-Week Delay Was Pre-Agreed With Downing St
(Poster’s Note: Here is the latest news from three different
sources regarding the March 26th deadline. Jay)
*********************
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0325/northpolitics.html?rss
Devolution Or Dissolution, NI Parties Choice
Sunday, 25 March 2007 20:58
The British and Irish governments are insisting the north's
parties must decide between devolution and dissolution by
midnight tomorrow. But, they also say they will consider any
proposal that the support of all the parties.
The Northern Secretary, Peter Hain, has said he will not bring in
new legislation to change tomorrow's deadline for devolution,
unless the North's parties strike a deal on power-sharing in the
coming hours.
Mr Hain today signed a restoration order to devolve power
tomorrow from Westminister to Stormont, despite a decision by the
DUP not to nominate ministers to a power-sharing executive at
Stormont by the deadline, but to share power in May instead.
Mr Hain said the North's parties will have the choice of
devolution or dissolution, but if they come up with some agreed
proposal among themselves, the two governments will consider it.
Mr Hain has said he will not bring in new legislation to change
tomorrow's deadline for devolution, unless the North's parties
strike a deal on power-sharing during talks tomorrow.
Mr Hain said the Northern's parties will have the choice of
devolution or dissolution when they meet, but if they come up
with some agreed proposal among themselves the two governments
will consider it.
Earlier, The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern has said that yesterday's
decision by the DUP not to nominate Ian Paisley as First Minister
tomorrow, but to share power in May, means the legislative
deadline for power-sharing cannot now be met.
Mr Ahern said the DUP's decision was disappointing and created
difficulties.
Speaking on RTE’s Radio's This Week programme, Mr Ahern said he
will meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Berlin today and
they will both see how they can go forward.
May power-sharing: DUP
Yesterday, to preserve party unity, the DUP said it would share
power with Sinn Féin in May, not from tomorrow.
Now, if Ian Paisley's party wants to be the major party in a
devolved government, it must get agreement on a way forward with
the other parties, including Sinn Féin.
Even though Peter Hain has signed the order to devolve power at
Stormont, it is clear there will be no appointment of an
executive tomorrow.
It there is no deal before midnight devolution will crash, and
after midnight power will be taken back to direct rule ministers
to avoid a responsibility vacuum.
The only way that will change is the parties coming to Mr Hain
and saying we have an agreement on how to move forward.
Face to face talks involving the DUP led by Ian Paisley and Sinn
Féin led by Gerry Adams are on the cards tomorrow.
*********************
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6493423.stm
Premiers Discuss DUP Delay Tactic
Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern
are to discuss the latest developments in the Northern Ireland
political process.
They are attending a European Union conference in Berlin, marking
50 years of European co-operation.
Mr Ahern said the DUP seeking a six week delay to forming a
power-sharing administration was disappointing.
"This is not something we can live with, it is not satisfactory
to us," he said.
"Obviously there's a lot of tic tacking going on, there's a lot
of talks going on, it's not Monday morning yet and we'll have to
see where we are.
"But as of now if we don't get the institutions set up the
institutions collapse - that is the position in the absence of
some other innovative thinking."
The DUP's Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson said that his party
had made an "historic decision".
"The Democratic Unionist Party has made a firm commitment to
participate in a power-sharing government in May," he said.
"That is absolutely clear and unequivocal - we felt there was a
need for more time because there were outstanding issues that
need to be resolved."
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has signed an order
restoring power to the Stormont assembly from midnight, despite
the DUP decision to wait to May before joing a power-sharing
administration.
He insisted Stormont would be dissolved if Monday's deadline was
not met - but said if parties could agree an alternative, he was
open to that.
On Saturday, the DUP's ruling executive overwhelmingly passed a
resolution offering a definite date, in May, for going into
government with Sinn Fein - if the government delays its
devolution deadline by six weeks.
It is believed the DUP feels it reached an understanding with the
government about the delay during talks on Friday.
Success or failure?
However, speaking on Sunday, Mr Hain said: "Success tomorrow
would be devolution, failure would be dissolution. I don't at the
moment see any other way, I only see it our way.
"If there is another way if the parties have got their own way
then they need to jointly agree it and come back to me pretty
quickly, because otherwise the law kicks in and there's nothing I
can do about it."
On Saturday, the DUP said it was willing to bridge the gap
between now and May with preparatory work, "including
departmental pre-briefings and finalising a programme for
government".
It said it wanted the extra time "to raise the level of
confidence in the community and instil a positive attitude
towards devolution and local control".
"The Ulster people will be persuaded, they will not be driven,"
party leader Ian Paisley said.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the DUP was seeking to
"frustrate the will of the electorate".
"If the DUP wants a functioning assembly after 26 March this can
only happen through direct dialogue and agreement with Sinn Fein
and the other parties," he said.
"In the meantime the two governments must now proceed to put in
place their all-Ireland partnership arrangements."
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said if the DUP needed time
it should just nominate ministers then have the assembly go into
easter recess.
"Throughout the election campaign the DUP said its approach to
devolution was condition led not calendar led.
Financial package
"Now, however, the DUP executive says it will share power with
Sinn Fein on a specific date in May," he said.
"This is a further U-turn. What difference does six weeks make?"
The British and Irish governments say they will shut the assembly
and stop the pay of its members if a power-sharing executive is
not agreed on Monday.
If devolution does not return, controversial water bills will
also be posted to homes in Northern Ireland within days.
Chancellor Gordon Brown has promised an extra œ1bn if devolution
is back on Monday on top of œ35bn promised by the government over
four years.
The Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended since October
2002, amid allegations of an IRA spy ring at Stormont.
A subsequent court case collapsed. Direct rule has been in place
since that date.
Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/03/25 14:38:59 GMT
c BBC MMVII
*********************
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=MHAUMHGBCWOJ&rss=rss2
DUP: Six-Week Delay Was Pre-Agreed With Downing St
25/03/2007 - 15:54:53
DUP sources in the North are claiming they had a pre-arranged
deal with Downing Street over their refusal to meet tomorrow's
deadline on devolution.
If true, the claim is politically damaging to the Northern
Secretary, Peter Hain, who insisted right up to the last moment
that the date was written in stone.
Mr Hain has signed the order restoring power to the Stormont
assembly from midnight, but says direct rule will be re-imposed
from midnight on Monday unless the DUP and Sinn Féin can agree by
then on the six-week delay demanded by Ian Paisley's party.
There are differing signals from republicans with the South
Belfast assemblyman Alex Maskey saying any delay is unacceptable
but the party's MP for Newry/Armagh Conor Murphy was not ruling
it out completely.
The DUP now say their proposed six-week delay was agreed in
advance during talks at Downing Street on Friday.
----
To Subscribe to Irish Aires Google News List, click Here.
To Unsub from Irish Aires Google News List, click Here
For options visit: http://groups.google.com/group/IrishAiresNews
Or join our Irish Aires Yahoo Group, Click here
To Get RSS Feed for Irish Aires News click HERE
(Paste http://irishaires.blogspot.com/atom.xml into a News Reader)
To March Index
To Index of Monthly Archives
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